Cambodia: Phnom Penh to Kampot

I arrived in Cambodia ten days ago, knowing something (I visited here briefly about ten years ago to go to the temples of Angkor) but having so much more to learn. My first impression was from the bus- as we drove through northern Cambodia over the border from Laos- and it was one of beauty, the emerald green rice fields, floating villages, people going about their daily business and a stunning sunset (see picture).
My first destination was Phnom Penh, the bustling capital city of nearly two million people. The majority are Khmers, with between 10 and 20 per cent of Cham, Chinese or Vietnamese origin and the prevailing religion is Buddhism. The average life expectancy is just 62.
The Khmers have been to hell and back in their recent history (more about that in a moment) but you wouldn't know it as this must surely be the most 'smiley' people in SE Asia?!
Having hooked up with a group of people we decided to take a shared tuk tuk on day one to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek where most of the detainees of the notorious S-21 prison were bludgeoned to death to avoid wasting precious bullets. It's hard to imagine when visiting this memorial to the victims today that such horrors unfolded here in my lifetime.
For those of you who don't know here is a brief resume of the recent history of Cambodia. I am just old enough to remember Pol Pot and his murderous regime ( I was at primary school when Blue Peter did a save Kampuchea appeal and Cambodian 'jokes' were doing the rounds) and I had seen the Killing Fields (the film based on the memoirs of American journalist Sydney Schanberg and his Cambodian assistant Pran) and as a history teacher I knew the basics. In the early 1970s Cambodia was embroiled in a civil war largely brought on by American bombing of the country during the Vietnam war (it wanted to destroy Communist bases and support being chanelled through Cambodia by the Viet Cong). Lon Nol was the American-backed leader of the country after the King fled in 1970 but at the same time the notorious Khmer Rouge were on the rise and eventually gained control of the country on 17th April 1975 when they entered Phnom Penh. They then attempted one of the most radical restructurings of society ever attempted which led to the death through murder and starvation of up to 2 million people (about one quarter of the population). This is the worst Holocaust in History in terms of numbers. The country was renamed Democratic Kampuchea  and the goal of the Khmer Rouge was to turn the country into a socialist rural agrarian-based co-operative. Within days of taking power the population of cities were force marched into the countryside to work as slaves for 12-15 hours per day living on starvation rations. Reading the Killing Fields novel, one of the main characters discovers tonnes of rice being sent to China to trade for weapons whilst the population were given barely enough to keep them alive. Money was destroyed, Buddhism and education abolished, entertainment wiped out. The whole professional elite almost wiped out. The state of your hands (rough hands were the sign of working on the land) could sign your death warrant along with if you wore glasses or spoke a foreign language. Students, teachers, lawyers, intellectuals were largely eradicated -most ended up at S-21 (a former school which was turned into a brutal detention centre -come prison)-where thousands met the most brutal end. In the book the Killing Fields it is revealed that in the 1979 census, out of 100,000 students only 5300 survived along with 207 teachers and 7 journalists!
I visited Tuol Sleng museum (S21) where you can still see the rooms and instruments of torture that were used in former classrooms (I found the sight of a blackboard most chilling) and perhaps the most disturbing is the room upon room of photographs of the victims (they were all photographed as they arrived), black and white haunting images of men, women and children- some defiant,some blank, most surely unaware of the fate that lay ahead- many of which looked remarkably contemporary, so similar to the faces of the people I had seen on the streets outside. I found it an incredibly moving experience, even for me who teaches the Holocaust to children through History lessons at home. The number of travellers who have said to me that young people at home should know about what happened here, something I can, in a small way,  do something about in my own practice going forward.,
If anyone is interested, I will put a link on here to some of the many books about the story of Pol Pot and his regime and the remarkable stories that have come out of the period.

But being in Cambodia has been an absolute blast too. I just can't get enough of the place and its people. The riverside in Phnom Penh is awesome- so much going on as the sun sets. Dance classes, boys playing football, people taking boat trips along the Tonle Sap, numerous bars, restaurants and cafes and of course, the crazy traffic, all make for a fun few hours people watching. The markets too are worth visiting- especially the food section. I never tire of seeing the fruits and meat sections (even though I don't eat meat!).

From Phnom Penh I took a bus to Kampot. Michael and Bahar (people I met in Burma) were there so I arranged to meet up with them, staying at a place called Les Manguiers. Kampot is a small town on the Mekong, very close to the coast and with a charm of its own. Low key and not an obviously tourist town, you can lose yourself here for a few days- and I certainly did! Les Manguiers was in a beautiful spot on the river, with its own decks for sunbathing and hammocks for snoozing. I had a perfect few days of relaxation, did lots of cycling (the town is about 4km away), reading, kayaking (the Green Cathedral through the mangroves was amazing) and eating great in house food. The staff are wonderful and the sunsets mind blowing. It was pretty much the best place I've stayed in the whole trip for location. Alot of ex pats and NGOs make the pilgrimage to Kampot on weekends so chatting to people over dinner was interesting. I met Sarah, an intern lawyer, working on the UN-backed trials of former Khmer Rouge that are currently taking place and many others doing volunteer/ UN type work. The people you meet is part of the experience too and so far I've met some great people, some of whom I will keep in touch with. From here its back to Phnom Penh for another reunion!

Pictures included: the victims of the Khmer Rouge, a scene from S21, my view from the bus, the Killing Fields memorial and a wonderful sunset from Les Manguires.